Two men were arrested Sunday night in Rutland after police from three agencies were called to disperse a crowd that gathered over a dispute on School Street.

More than 40 people were reportedly involved in a series of heated verbal and physical confrontations in the city’s southwest neighborhood, Rutland Police Sgt. John Sly said.

“A lot of people came out to watch or get involved,” Sly said.

In what he described as a “convoluted sequence of events” police were initially called to 36 Meadow Street at 4:23 p.m. for a reported fight.

At the scene, Sly said police found about 10 people arguing about the theft of a cell phone and a missing hat.

Sly said police left the scene believing that the parties would stay separated. But more than three hours later they were called back when some of the same people involved in the earlier dispute moved to 79 School St. where a crowd had gathered.

The size of the gathering was so great that city police called for backup from Vermont State Police and the Rutland County Sherriff’s Department as well as another shift of officers coming on duty in the city.

Police also arrested two participants — 19-year-old Tiler Cormia and Nicholas Prior, 20, both of Rutland — on charges of disorderly conduct.